Find Grow Keep

Hosted by Karen Kirton Amplify HR

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171

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Bite-sized people & business advice for forward-thinking Founders, CEOs, and Senior Business Leaders in Australia & beyond. As a leader, you’re responsible for growth, navigating market changes, all while trying to find time for to recruit, develop, retain and motivate your team. It’s a lot. Managing the 'people stuff' effectively is not just an HR function – It’s a core aspect of running a successful business. If you're looking to unlock growth and drive performance, these short and practical podcast episodes will give you the tools and insights to get your business to the next stage by leveraging great people and culture. Brought to you by Karen Kirton, Founder of Amplify HR, Karen has over 20 years' experience in People Management, degrees in Business and Psychology, and is the Amazon best-selling author of “Great People, Great Business: Your HR handbook for creating a business that’s ready to scale and grow”. Karen is passionate about creating workplaces that engage and inspire—especially for small to medium sized This podcast is designed to give you practical, down-to-earth solutions and real life case studies that will genuinely make a difference. Learn more at: https://www.amplifyhr.com.au Get our free eBook packed with practical strategies to attract, engage, and retain top talent. Perfect for business owners and leaders focused on building a thriving team. Download it at amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/find-grow-keep

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August 23, 2026Episode 17127 min

2.171 Business Growth: Why Finding More Customers Isn't Always the Answer– with Nathan Baws

In this episode of Find Grow Keep, Karen Kirton is joined by business growth strategist Nathan Baws for a conversation that starts with joint ventures and quickly expands into customer service, workplace culture, leadership and what really drives sustainable business growth. Nathan has built businesses across a wide range of industries and is passionate about helping business owners grow without simply spending more on marketing. Together, Karen and Nathan explore practical ways to build stronger relationships, create memorable customer experiences and think differently about where growth comes from. Whether you're leading a growing team or looking for new ways to grow your business, this episode is full of practical ideas you can apply straight away. In this episode you'll learn: Why joint ventures can be a powerful business growth strategy How to create partnerships where everyone benefits Why customer service is often a reflection of workplace culture The connection between employee engagement and customer experience How to spend more time working on your business rather than just in it Why finding people who love the work you don't can help your business grow Simple leadership habits that keep teams connected and aligned Learn more about Amplify HR: https://www.amplifyhr.com.au Book a free discovery call: https://meetings.hubspot.com/ronita-fourie Connect with Nathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-baws/ https://nathanbaws.com/ Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases on Mondays! Send us Fan Mail

August 16, 2026Episode 17014 min

2.170 How to Optimise Your Business Processes Before They Break You

As businesses grow, the people side of the business often becomes more complex. Recruitment takes longer, onboarding becomes inconsistent, managers handle situations differently and founders find themselves answering the same questions over and over again. The challenge is not usually that people are doing the wrong thing. More often, the business has outgrown the informal processes that worked when the team was smaller. In this episode, Karen explores how to identify the people processes that may be creating friction in your business and where to focus first. Rather than jumping straight to automation or new technology, she discusses the foundations that help growing businesses create consistency, improve employee experience and reduce unnecessary complexity. In this episode, you will learn: → Why growth often exposes weaknesses in recruitment, onboarding and performance management processes → How relying on memory, goodwill and founder involvement can create bottlenecks → Why reactive recruitment can lead to costly hiring mistakes → The role onboarding plays in retention, engagement and productivity → What Gallup's research tells us about the impact managers have on employee engagement → How simple performance management rhythms can create better conversations and clearer expectations → Why compliance processes often become vulnerable as businesses grow → A practical question every business owner should ask to identify process risks and opportunities If your business is growing and things feel more complicated than they used to, this episode will help you identify where better people processes can make growth easier. Visit https://www.amplifyhr.com.au for more resources and practical HR support. Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday! Send us Fan Mail Download our free guide, “Getting Stuff Done Through Your People,” giving you the tools to build a culture where people take ownership, goals get achieved, and results follow. https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/getting-stuff-done-through-your-people/

August 9, 2026Episode 16924 min

2.169 Why Cyber Security Is a People Issue (Not Just an IT Issue)

Many leaders think cyber security is something their IT provider looks after. But what if your biggest cyber risk isn't your technology at all? In this episode, Karen Kirton is joined by cyber security specialist Fraser Jack to explore why cyber security is really a people issue. Together, they discuss how leadership, workplace culture and human behaviour all play a critical role in protecting your business from cyber threats. In today's episode, you'll learn about: Why cyber security isn't just an IT responsibility and why business leaders need to be involved. How cyber criminals use human psychology, including urgency, fear and trust, to trick even smart, capable employees. The small pieces of information businesses unknowingly share that can increase cyber risk. The additional considerations when your team works remotely, offshore or in hybrid environments. Why creating a workplace culture where employees feel safe to report mistakes can significantly reduce the impact of a cyber incident. The importance of having an incident response plan and practising cyber drills before something goes wrong. Practical steps directors and business owners can take to better understand and manage cyber risk. If you're a business owner or leader who thinks cyber security starts and ends with technology, this conversation will give you a fresh perspective and some practical ideas you can implement straight away. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode of Find Grow Keep, with new episodes released every Monday. Send us Fan Mail

August 2, 2026Episode 16823 min

2.168 Why Scaling a Business Is Harder Than Starting One

Most business owners expect growth to make things easier. More revenue. More people. More opportunities. So why does it often feel like the opposite happens? In this episode Karen explores why scaling a business can feel much harder than starting one, and why the biggest challenges are often not financial or operational, but people related. Karen shares the common patterns she sees in growing businesses, including unclear roles, inconsistent onboarding, accountability issues, manager capability gaps, decision making bottlenecks and founders becoming stuck in the middle of everything. Drawing on current Australian business data and real world examples, she explains why the informal ways of working that helped a business succeed in the early days often stop working as teams grow. In this episode you'll learn: Why growth can create complexity rather than freedom The people foundations that growing businesses need How role clarity impacts accountability and ownership Why manager capability can become a growth handbrake What founders need to let go of as their business grows How to identify whether your business has outgrown its current people practices If your business is growing and things are starting to feel messier than they used to, this episode will help you understand why and where to focus first. Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday! Visit amplifyhr.com.au for more insights and resources. Send us Fan Mail Download our free guide, “Getting Stuff Done Through Your People,” giving you the tools to build a culture where people take ownership, goals get achieved, and results follow. https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/getting-stuff-done-through-your-people/

July 26, 2026Episode 16717 min

2.167 Toxic Workplace Culture vs High Performance Culture: What’s the Real Difference?

Most business owners would say culture is important. But when something feels off in the business, it can be difficult to know whether you're dealing with a culture issue, a leadership issue, or simply a performance problem. In this episode, Karen Kirton explores the real difference between a toxic workplace culture and a high-performance culture, and why the warning signs of a toxic culture are often much quieter than people expect. Rather than obvious conflict or bullying, toxic cultures often show up through poor communication, disengagement, managers avoiding difficult conversations, inconsistent leadership, and good employees quietly leaving. Karen also discusses what genuinely high-performing cultures look like, the role leaders play in shaping culture every day, and how HR processes such as recruitment, onboarding, performance management and communication can either strengthen or weaken your workplace culture. You'll also hear why culture is increasingly being linked to psychosocial risks and work health and safety obligations, making it more important than ever for business owners and leaders to be intentional about the environment they create. In this episode: What toxic workplace culture actually looks like Common signs your culture may be holding your business back Why culture problems often develop gradually The difference between accountability and blame What defines a high-performance culture How leadership behaviours shape culture The connection between culture and psychosocial risks Practical steps to improve workplace culture Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday! Visit amplifyhr.com.au for more insights and resources. Send us Fan Mail Download our free guide, “Getting Stuff Done Through Your People,” giving you the tools to build a culture where people take ownership, goals get achieved, and results follow. https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/getting-stuff-done-through-your-people/

July 19, 2026Episode 16633 min

2.166 What Strong Business Performance Really Looks Like Behind the Numbers

Business performance is not just about revenue, profit or growth targets. The businesses that perform well over time usually have stronger leadership, clearer accountability, better systems and healthier cultures underneath the numbers. In this episode, Karen Kirton speaks with Farid Zaki from ATP Accounting about what really helps small and medium sized businesses grow in a more steady and sustainable way. Farid has been running his own business for almost 30 years, and as an accountant, he has seen what can quietly strengthen a business, as well as what can hold it back. Together, Karen and Farid talk about vision, cash flow, role clarity, systems, delegation, team culture and why business owners need to look beyond revenue if they want to understand how their business is really performing. In today’s episode, you will learn about: Why business performance is about more than revenue, profit and growth targets. The leadership, accountability and culture foundations that support strong business performance. Why a 10 year plan may not work in the same way anymore, and why business owners need to keep adapting. How sharing the right financial targets with your team can help them make better decisions. Why revenue is not the same as profit, especially when discounting starts eating into your margins. How repeatable systems and clear role clarity help business owners stop being the bottleneck. Why a business can look good on paper but still have hidden issues with cash flow, leadership or team dynamics. What business owners should review before the new financial year, including structure, pricing, costs, subscriptions and cash flow. Why there is no such thing as a perfect business, and why that is actually a helpful reminder. The importance of pausing to celebrate how far you have come as a business owner. If your business looks fine on paper but feels harder than it should behind the scenes, this episode is a helpful reminder to look at the people, systems and numbers that sit underneath sustainable business growth. Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases on Mondays! Visit https://www.amplifyhr.com.au for more insights and resources. Connect with Farid Zaki on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/faridzaki/ or visit ATP Accounting at https://atpaccounting.com.au Send us Fan Mail Download our free guide, “Getting Stuff Done Through Your People,” giving you the tools to build a culture where people take ownership, goals get achieved, and results follow. https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/getting-stuff-done-through-your-people/

July 12, 2026Episode 16517 min

2.165 What to Fix First When Team Performance Is Holding Growth Back

When team performance drops, it can be tempting to look straight at the individual and assume they are the problem. But in a growing business, performance issues are often a sign that something else is getting in the way, such as unclear priorities, a lack of management rhythm, messy workflows, workload pressure, or accountability being discussed before the foundations are in place. In this episode, Karen talks through the order she would generally look at when team performance is not where it needs to be, so you can work out what to fix first without trying to solve everything at once. In today’s episode, you will learn about: Why team performance issues are not always individual performance issues Why clarity around roles, priorities and expectations should usually come first How managers can create a simple rhythm for performance conversations Why regular one on one conversations make feedback easier and more useful How messy workflows, rework and unclear approvals can make a good team look like an underperforming team Why accountability only works when expectations are clear, managers follow through and the workload is realistic enough for people to succeed The difference between pressure and accountability, and why that matters for small and medium sized businesses This episode is especially useful if your team is working hard, but performance still feels harder than it should. It will help you step back, look at the foundations, and choose a practical place to start. If you need support to work through team performance, clarity, management rhythm or accountability in your business, HR consultants like Amplify HR can help. Visit Amplify HR for more insights and resources: https://www.amplifyhr.com.au Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday! Send us Fan Mail Download our free guide, “Getting Stuff Done Through Your People,” giving you the tools to build a culture where people take ownership, goals get achieved, and results follow. https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/getting-stuff-done-through-your-people/

July 5, 2026Episode 16414 min

2.164 What your team’s performance is really telling you

When team performance drops, it is easy to assume the issue sits with one person. Maybe someone is not motivated enough, not engaged enough, or not taking enough responsibility. And sometimes that might be part of the story. But in growing businesses, poor performance is often telling you something bigger. In this episode, Karen explores what team performance issues can reveal about the business underneath. Before you jump straight into performance management or putting more pressure on the team, it is worth asking whether the issue is really about the individual, or whether it is pointing to role confusion, unclear priorities, manager capability gaps, workload pressure, founder bottlenecks, or culture and communication issues. This is the diagnosis episode. It will help you pause, read the pattern, and understand what your team’s performance might be showing you about the way your business is currently operating. In today’s episode, you’ll learn about: Why performance issues are not always individual issues How unclear roles and responsibilities can show up as poor performance Why founder bottlenecks slow decisions and reduce ownership How manager capability affects feedback, accountability and team standards Why overload can look like underperformance What culture and communication might be hiding when issues stay quiet for too long The questions to ask before deciding whether it is a people issue or a business issue If you run a growing business and you can see that performance feels off, but you are not sure what it means, this episode will help you think more clearly about what your team’s performance is really telling you. Free tools and guides: https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/free-tools-and-guides/ Visit Amplify HR: https://www.amplifyhr.com.au Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases on Mondays! Visit https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/ for more insights and resources. Send us Fan Mail Download our free guide, “Getting Stuff Done Through Your People,” giving you the tools to build a culture where people take ownership, goals get achieved, and results follow. https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/getting-stuff-done-through-your-people/

June 28, 2026Episode 16328 min

2.163 15 Years in Business: Culture, Communication and Trust with Carolina Montanez

Karen speaks with Carolina Montanez from Plane 2 Sea about 15 years in business, building a strong team culture and learning how to lead people through growth, pressure and change. Carolina’s business story started when she and three colleagues lost their jobs and decided to create their own opportunity. Fifteen years later, Plane 2 Sea has grown into a business built on simplicity, trust, communication and a deep commitment to looking after clients and team members. In this episode, we talk about: → How Plane 2 Sea started with four women who wanted to keep working together → Why simplicity matters as a business grows → How Carolina has built and protected a strong workplace culture over time → Why communication is central to the client and employee experience → How to empower employees to make decisions without micromanaging → What stress reveals about your workplace culture → Why managing people is often one of the biggest learning curves in business This conversation is a great reminder that the people side of business is not separate from growth. It is part of what makes sustainable growth possible. At Amplify HR, we support small and medium sized businesses with practical HR support services that help you find, grow and keep great people. Book a free discovery call here: https://meetings.hubspot.com/ronita-fourie Connect with Amplify HR: https://www.amplifyhr.com.au Connect with Carolina and the team at Plane 2 Sea: www.plane2sea.com.au https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolina-montanez-59a31265/ Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases on Mondays! Send us Fan Mail Download our free guide, “Getting Stuff Done Through Your People,” giving you the tools to build a culture where people take ownership, goals get achieved, and results follow. https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/getting-stuff-done-through-your-people/

June 21, 2026Episode 16216 min

2.162 Employee Engagement Strategies: Boost Performance and Retention

In this episode, Karen is talking about employee engagement strategies that genuinely make a difference in small and growing businesses. Employee engagement can sound like one of those corporate phrases that gets thrown around a lot, but when you strip it back, it really comes down to whether your people feel connected to their work, clear on what matters, valued for what they do, and motivated to contribute. And when that is happening, you will see the difference across your whole business. In today’s episode, you will learn about: Why employee engagement matters and how it affects performance, retention, customer service, and culture The practical engagement strategies that work best in small and medium sized businesses, without needing expensive programs or gimmicks Why clarity is one of the biggest drivers of engagement and how to help your team feel more connected to the bigger picture How recognition and appreciation can lift motivation when it is specific, timely, and genuine Why communication and two way feedback are essential if you want people to feel heard and involved How development opportunities help employees feel supported, stretched, and more likely to stay What a positive workplace culture actually looks like in practice, beyond surface level perks Why autonomy matters and how to avoid killing motivation through micromanagement Simple ways to measure employee engagement, including pulse surveys, stay interviews, and the everyday signs already showing up in your business How HR support can help make engagement more practical, structured, and consistent over time If you have been thinking about employee engagement as something vague or hard to tackle, this episode will help you see it differently. Small actions done consistently can make a huge difference over time, and you do not need to overhaul everything at once to get started. Make sure to subscribe so you stay updated with new episodes released every Monday. Visit Amplify HR for more insights and resources: https://www.amplifyhr.com.au Book a free discovery call: https://meetings.hubspot.com/ronita-fourie Send us Fan Mail Download our free guide, “Getting Stuff Done Through Your People,” giving you the tools to build a culture where people take ownership, goals get achieved, and results follow. https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/getting-stuff-done-through-your-people/